Your memory is fairly good but let me add some of my recollections.

The tribal interests also initially demanded a significant cash payment for the prospective adverse impact on their ability to exercise their Treaty rights. It was that cash payment to which WDFW balked in large part because the Tribal interests could not and did not provide any specificity to the Corps despite being directly asked for it and given an extended time line for submittal of any such additional information (have those Tribes even come close to not extracting their 50%?). That came out during the Commission meeting in Port Townsend.

When it came to mitigation (as if removing the old over the water facility with its pilings wasn't enough) the initial projects offered up by WDFW were deemed both inadequate and not sufficiently within the Suquamish U&A. WDFW then increase the overall mitigation package to include more within the Suquamish U&A.

As to use of the facility it is first important to recognize that its use is constrained by both the primary funding type (RCO) and the Kitsap County permit. The RCO funds come with constraints to commercial usage. WDFW has said that they allow launch and retrieval of commercial boats but do not allow sale and transfer of product at facilities developed with RCO monies. That runs counter to the tribal desire to be able to transfer product (primarily crab but probably also geoduc) to buyers with their refrigerated trucks on site.

The tribes also wanted to be able to utilize the facility 24 hours a day which is in conflict with the permit issued by Kitsap County after significant public input particularly by concerned residential neighbors during the public hearing process. One only needs to ask residents near the Salisbury launch about 24 hour tribal activity to include diesel trucks with refrigeration units running 24 hours/day as the neighbors try to sleep.

Edit: As a part of the 24 hour usage the tribes wanted to be able to park vehicles and boat trailers on what is a limited parking lot meaning limiting availability for recreational trailer boaters and other recreational users when the facility would be open to them.

Subsequent demands by the Tribes included a limitation on the size of recreational boats to be launched and also that any permit would have an expiration date meaning this whole fiasco would be revisited in future. Clearly more investment and actual recreational usage would give the Tribes more leverage to extort money for their approval (or for not objecting to re-issuance).

That is my old guy's recollection of events without going to my extensive pile of documents so if anyone has corrective or additional information please feel free to post.

I am somewhat disturbed by the kayak/small boat usage if that is actually occurring. Why? Well, that is exactly what Kitsap County wanted to reduce the site's usage to despite the fact that the planning/design/permitting had been for trailer boats AND it was RCO money generated by boaters purchase of fuel which was used to purchase the facility and design the redevelopment. Fortunately, push-back from the trailer boat stakeholders got it back on track.

So, is inaction by WDFW and the Corps leading to a significant change in the scope of usage for this facility without the benefit of any public hearing?

And, finally, I would be interested to know the administrative appeal process should WDFW push the Corps for a decision (issue the permit or deny with justification) and receive a denial.